Page 50 of Bride Under Contract

Carter, in fact, was twenty-seven years in the past, staring at the baby orangutan’s huge round eyes that looked back at him just as Hugo’s had that last day.

But there was a forgotten moment that had returned...

Hugo holding his fat starfish hand out to him.

Carter had known exactly what his brother’s gesture meant.

‘Wait!’ he’d called, opening his father’s ice box, taking the cold silver teething ring and jumping onto the riverbank. ‘There you go, Ulat,’ he’d said, handing Hugo his beloved teething ring, gently talking to his little brother as he’d grasped it, ruffling his soft hair, seeing his contented smile...

Then, as if black tar was being thrown over him, the idyllic moment was tainted.

He should have taken Hugo from his mother...carried him back to the boat.

God, this was no memory to stand and savour. Instead he stood there hollowed out with regret.

The only solace he could find as he recalled it was that he’d never know the pain of such loss again.

Ever.

‘That was incredible...’

Grace’s voice pulled him back to the present and, realising his arm was still around her, Carter removed it, telling himself he’d merely been trying to point out the wildlife.

‘I can’t believe how close we were.’

‘It’s very quiet here,’ Carter said, and cleared his throat, trying to sound normal while still taken aback by that emergence of the final memory of his mother and brother. ‘There’s little to disturb them.’

‘What will happen if your cousin does get his way?’

‘That’s my concern. I didn’t bring you here to influence your decision.’

Carter would not let emotions override her thinking—they were a currency he did his level best not to deal in.

‘Your decision should be based on financial security and providing for your mother. The debt to the people here is my own.’

‘Debt?’

‘There’s a saying here: Hutang emas boleh dibayar, hutang budi dibawa mati. One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies in debt for ever to those who are kind. Unfortunately for me, it’s true.’

‘I’m sure they don’t see it as a debt.’

‘Perhaps not a debt, but I do feel obliged.’ He saw Grace frown, and then qualified. ‘I want to do the right thing, and then finally I can move on.’

‘I do too,’ Grace admitted, her own words surprising her. ‘I don’t see it as a debt, though, or even an obligation.’

She wanted to do the best by her mother and she wanted to live her life. This gave her a chance to do both.

‘I don’t know if can do this, though.’

‘That’s why there are lawyers...that’s why we’re not running away to Vegas. If we get the application in then we have three weeks to work things out.’

She nodded.

‘Grace, do you love me?’

Her response was immediate. ‘Of course not.’

Only Grace recognised her own tone. It was the same one she used when asked if she cared about or missed her father.

---